Control of spatiotemporal congested traffic patterns at highway bottlenecks

Based on a microscopic traffic model in the context of three-phase traffic theory, two qualitatively different feedback on-ramp metering approaches are investigated and compared. In the first well-known ALINEA approach, free flow should be maintained at an on-ramp bottleneck. In the second approach that is called congested pattern control approach (ANCONA approach), congestion at the bottleneck is allowed to set in. The basis idea of the ANCONA approach is to keep congestion conditions at the minimum possible level at the bottleneck. In particular, the congested pattern should not propagate upstream, i.e., the congested pattern should be localized on the main road in a small neighborhood of the bottleneck. It is used in the ANCONA approach that in accordance with empirical congested pattern features, congested patterns are of various types some more favorable than others in terms of the discharge volume from the congested pattern and of the vehicle delay time due to congestion.